Transcription
Kyriakou. Mr. Kyriakou, good afternoon.
Yes, good afternoon.
Well, you certainly didn't predict the dismissal, from the few times you were wrong, product, product of the time, yesterday. I think we all understood that things were heading towards a deposition. So, I want your general comment on this. Well, I have made a decision through which the synodicity of the Church of Cyprus is strengthened. Because from now on the message is clear to every archbishop that he cannot say and do whatever he wants. That everyone is under the supervision of the synod. Now, the three ecclesiological issues for which the deposed bishop is accused are significant, whatever we may do, both the issue of the rejectionists, and the issue of rebaptism, and the issue of the proclamation, in quotation marks, of his own Saint, Nektarios Vitalis. Well, all these were significant enough for 10 out of 16 to say he should be deposed. While the other six, for the same offenses, did not consider them to be so significant as to lead to dismissal. There is this internal division within the synod, but it is true that the Archbishop controls the synod. The Archbishop should shoulder some of the blame regarding the deposed bishop, because he was his own child, whom he ordained to all the degrees of the priesthood. And it is not an excuse that he did not speak, I didn't know, I didn't understand. A shepherd must know and understand what each one preaches. So, Mr. Kyriakou. What each one preaches.
What you are saying now, in essence, is that the Most Reverend was with the deposed bishop for many years. We all knew the relationship between the two. And since the Archbishop, George, as Archbishop, elected him, more or less everyone's predictions were that the deposed bishop would sit on the metropolitan throne of Paphos. Therefore, what you are saying is that the Archbishop had an idea of what the deposed bishop preaches or believes. And if he didn't, well, he didn't. Well, you cannot have a colleague for so many years and justify that he has deceived you. I didn't understand him. Yes. He may not have believed the magnitude, however, Mr. Kyriakou. Well, maybe. Yes.
Regarding the Metropolitan of Morphou now, we have two weights and two measures. The Metropolitan of Morphou himself is... We received a letter from Greece during the pandemic from the Permanent Holy Synod of Greece, that he creates internal problems in the Church of Greece with his stance on the issue of vaccination. He himself has made an icon of this Most Reverend, the one of Savvas Achilleos who is not, has not been canonized. And when this happened, the Archbishop said we will see it in the synod, and I don't know if I saw it. I think I didn't hear anything, that is, that the Metropolitan of Morphou has done the same thing that the former Metropolitan of Paphos did. We have mentioned this many times. In which church did he place this one who is not a saint, how did you say, Savvas? Yes. Savvas Achilleos, I don't know where the Metropolitan found it, but he made an icon of him, and moreover, holding the devil by the horns, because that's what they told him, that's what he wanted, the image of Savvas Achilleos. Savvas Achilleos had predicted that he would become a saint and would hold the devil, and the Metropolitan of Morphou made an icon of this Savvas Achilleos, without... His statements about the Pope create serious problems both ecumenically and in relation to the other, with the Papal Church. Well, the justifications from him... there are no justifications for the stance towards Morphou. I think there are two weights and two measures here, and that's the truth. Yes. Fine.
However, pay attention, Mr. Kyriakou, because we mentioned a little while ago that the Most Reverend made new statements, we will have his answer on this contentious question, why he did not react the same way with the Metropolitan of Morphou as with the former Metropolitan of Paphos, his answer was specific that the Metropolitan of Morphou closed the door to the rejectionists, while the former Metropolitan of Paphos did not. That's what the Most Reverend said. That is, our problem is only the rejectionists. I understood that this is perhaps the biggest annoyance of the Holy Synod. Well, I think, I think if it's only the rejectionists, okay, everything is fine. We are moving forward perfectly. There is no problem for anyone. Why did the Most Reverend come out and speak about the issue of Morphou? He spoke about his statements, what happened, why he went for the issue of the icon of Savvas Achilleos and declared we will see it in the synod, which I certainly didn't see. That's it. The Most Reverend made the statements about what I have said. I didn't make them.
So that the people understand, Mr. Kyriakou, when we say rejectionists of Thessaloniki, they are priests who... explain so that the people understand. The priest whom the deposed bishop sent to Thessaloniki. Yes. He did not commemorate the bishop there, I think of Neapolis, and he commemorated the Metropolitan of Paphos, the deposed bishop. That's it. This is, this is ecclesiastically illegal. You commemorate the local bishop who is there. You do not commemorate another bishop who is in Cyprus. And that's why they are called rejectionists. Sorry. And that's why they are called rejectionists. Yes. They are called rejectionists because they have created a wall in front of them to protect Orthodoxy from heresy. This thing is heresy. Rejectionism is heresy. Essentially.
Well, I have some information, Mr. Kyriakou, and I want to tell you what we just received. Archimandrite Ioannis, who in the past had sought to become the Metropolitan of Paphos, it seems our information tells us that he will seek it again. So we are entering this path now of the elections in the Metropolis of Paphos. Continue what you were saying and let's talk about everything together. Yes. The next Metropolitan of Paphos will be of the liking of the Most Reverend. This is clear. Whoever else puts forward whoever, whatever happens in the synod, that's where the issue of the election of the three-member commission will go. You understand that since the Archbishop has the majority in the election, and he's right to have it, the man will elect the new Metropolitan of Paphos. Indeed, and it was natural that the Paphian himself, Ioannis, Ioannis... is interested. Alimon. Indeed. Indeed. Okay. Now they tell me that he has publicly stated it himself. He expressed his candidacy. Fine. Well, another thing is that the Metropolis of Paphos will enter an electoral process again. Meanwhile, Archimandrite Ioannis is from Paphos, Mr. Kyriakou. Yes. Yes. Paphos, and he came to Nicosia with Chrysostomos the Second. Yes. Because there is a reaction from the citizens of Paphos that they would not put someone in this position who is not from Paphos. Anyway. Now of course there is also the issue of the appeal, which I don't see Ioannis, the deposed bishop, considering. The deposed bishop could appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and if the appeal to the Ecumenical Patriarchate were made, the elections would be held after six months until the appeal is heard. I don't see this happening. What we are wondering, as you said, is why he would need permission if he wants to go to Mount Athos, the deposed bishop, to become a monk. Who is that? Why would he need permission? I don't know how the procedure goes, Mr. Kyriakou. Does someone need the blessing of the Most Reverend to go to Mount Athos? No, you don't need any permission to go. If they approve him there at Mount Athos, what does he need from the Archbishop to go to Mount Athos, as they say? That is, let's not reach extreme scenarios. Fine. You know better than us the rumors that say that he may not be accepted by Mount Athos, that they are true. There are such extremes at Mount Athos that there is no such issue. If he wants to go to Mount Athos, he will find a place normally. He can go to the Vatopedi Monastery. Paradoskan. Those are rebels, they don't understand anything. Well, I want to say that if he wishes to go to Mount Athos, he will find a place to go, and the man will go perfectly fine. And I don't think there should be fuss about this issue, or whether the Archbishop will allow it. If the deposed bishop wants to go to Mount Athos to become a monk and the Most Reverend doesn't allow it, alimon. It is an issue, yes, the Most Reverend said that it is an issue that the Holy Synod will examine, even this, the Holy Synod should examine previous decisions it made and did not implement. The Holy Synod should deal with the issue. It made a decision on the issue of the three monks, the three deposed, who said the following, this decision said that on the condition that they remain monks if they go to the monasteries that the Holy Synod indicated to them. They did not go to the monasteries that the Holy Synod indicated to them. Did you see the Holy Synod make another decision since then? It has been so long, it hasn't. Of course, the court of the state is also pending, Mr. Kyriakou. When we want others to respect us, we must first respect our own decisions, not others. Do you think that the Holy Synod has exhausted all strictness towards the former Metropolitan of Paphos, Mr. Kyriakou? Yes, I think it was strict, but it was also, how can I say, extreme, the issues of Paphos regarding rejectionism, regarding rebaptism, and regarding Nektarios Vitalis. These three ecclesiological issues were very serious offenses, and the synod acted in this way. But it must act in the same way, uniformly, with others, without applying two weights and two measures. Indeed.
Well, Mr. Kyriakou, the fact that yesterday the former Metropolitan of Paphos admitted that he made mistakes. Obviously, for those you are referring to, we don't know exactly. Well, and he said that he asked for a second chance. Indeed, some from his close circle said that before the issue went to the Holy Synod, the former Metropolitan of Paphos asked to meet with the Most Reverend, to solve this issue outside the synod. And it seems that the Most Reverend said no, we will go to the synod and that's it. The Most Reverend answered this today as well. He said that how many times, not once, not twice, many opportunities we gave to the deposed bishop and this issue had to be resolved because we might be entering dangerous paths. That's how the Most Reverend thought. No. If there was a need, if there was a request from the deposed bishop to have a personal meeting with the Archbishop to discuss the issues that would be brought to the synod... The Most Reverend should have accepted it. He should have accepted it because, he repeats, it is a case, he has his own responsibility in this matter, and if the problems could be solved, why not. Now he chose this strict stance because he considered that the deposed bishop should have been a submissive person, since he was with him for so many years, and he wanted to send the messages we mentioned earlier, to strengthen the issue of synodicity and to send a message to the other hierarchs, from now on be careful what you say and what you do. Indeed.
Well, anyway, Mr. Kyriakou, I am receiving messages. The reactions are significant. Some tell me that in Paphos most Paphians feel, I will say, a void. Others tell me that you don't know what the former Metropolitan did in Paphos, and he put obstacles in our way. That is, you see that the people are also divided. Some say that the doors of the Metropolis were closed to many. That is, the deposed bishop was in what, in a point, in what darkness regarding the new issues of the Church. Look, you raise an issue that has many ramifications, the issue of rejectionism, it is not only rejectionism, that is, the isolation of some people, their grouping outside the Church. Here there are groups within the Church, there are sects, groups that are created around individuals, metropolitans, clergy, etc., which are equally dangerous phenomena. This phenomenon of gerontism that exists today in the Church of Cyprus, which first arose in recent years and was introduced from Mount Athos to Cyprus. Yes. It is a form of heresy, because in gerontism the person of the elder is often highlighted, which is a kind of, let's say, worship, and we hide the face of Christ behind the face of the elder. I think it is time for the Church of Cyprus to examine these issues and thus to spiritually clarify the space of the Church. Indeed.
Well, people are also asking, Mr. Kyriakou, and they ask, they say that all these metropolitans have some educational background, or does it not matter? No. To be a candidate, let's say, for the throne, one must be a theologian, must have 10 years of service in the Church of Cyprus. Indeed. And must be over 35 years old. Indeed.
Well, Mr. Kyriakou, now how does the Church proceed? The Metropolis of Paphos will enter elections, so I expect the elections in about 10 days. The Archbishop, as the administrator of any vacant metropolitan throne, must issue an encyclical, and okay, those who will show their interest will show it, and the elections for the three-member commission will be held, and then the three-member commission will go for the election, and we will be here to discuss them, God willing. Well, because I am receiving messages, I want to tell you that Mr. Kyriakou will also be on the afternoon show of Mr. Sotiris Paris, in Achmes, where you have easy access, ladies and gentlemen, to ask whatever you want. The last question comes from a viewer, KERK, and he comments on the phenomenon of gerontism, and he says that this phenomenon of gerontism is not translated into those six who voted in favor of the deposed bishop. Yes. Among those six who voted in favor. Yes. There is a, there is the phenomenon of the elder. Indeed.
Well, Mr. Kyriakou, we will see you this afternoon here at the station. Goodbye. Thank you.